Age of the Customerhttp://blogs.forrester.com/taxonomy/term/9800/all
enPredictions 2017: The Year Of Actionhttp://blogs.forrester.com/cliff_condon/16-10-27-predictions_2017
<p>Your business model is under attack. And it's not by your competitors. It's under attack from your customers. Three years ago, Forrester identified a major shift in the market, ushering in the age of the customer. Power has shifted away from companies and towards digitally savvy, technology-empowered customers. They now decide winners and losers: Our <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/The+Rise+Of+The+Empowered+Customer/-/E-RES133207" target="_blank">Empowered Customer Segmentation</a> shows that more than a third all US online adults want new and engaging digital experiences. They will switch companies to find these experiences. In this environment, being customer-obsessed can be your only competitive strategy. </p>
<p>In Forrester's 2017 Prediction Reports, we are tracking firms' progress on their customer-obsessed journeys. In our annual collection of predictions, we look at business strategy, leadership, customer experience, and technology dynamics to examine progress and predict the key events, changes, and trends that will occur in 2017.</p>
<p>Here are three key findings from our 16 predictions reports:</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/cliff_condon/16-10-27-predictions_2017" title="Read the rest of &#039;Predictions 2017: The Year Of Action&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_13740 first"><a href="/category/2017_predictions" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">2017 predictions</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9800"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_424"><a href="/category/cio" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CIO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_926"><a href="/category/cmo" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CMO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_216"><a href="/category/customer_experience" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Customer Experience</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_1024"><a href="/category/leadership" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Leadership</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12407"><a href="/category/age_of_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">age of customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_964 last"><a href="/category/business_technology" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/cliff_condon/16-10-27-predictions_2017#comments2017 predictionsAge of the CustomerB2C MarketingCIOCMOCustomer ExperienceLeadershipage of customerbusiness technologyThu, 27 Oct 2016 20:18:54 +0000Cliff Condon12625 at http://blogs.forrester.comThe Data Digest: Get Inside The Mind Of Your Changing B2B Tech Buyerhttp://blogs.forrester.com/tyler_mcdaniel/16-10-25-the_data_digest_get_inside_the_mind_of_your_changing_b2b_tech_buyer
<p>Technology has become the foundation for nearly every customer experience, enabling companies to provide new sources of value to customers with each interaction. It's no surprise, then, that business leaders are shifting their mindset and their approach to technology.</p>
<p>Specifically, tech-empowered customers and their rising expectations have led to changes in:</p>
<ul>
<li>Business priorities and areas for improvement.</li>
<li>Who is involved in the decision-making process for tech purchases.</li>
<li>Overall budgets for technology investments.</li>
</ul>
<p>The infographic below dives deeper into these new purchasing trends:</p>
<p>As business leaders begin to play a larger role in tech investments, it's important to know the kinds of decisions they're making and what they expect from you along the way. <a href="https://go.forrester.com/data/business-technographics/">A deep understanding of your changing tech buyers</a> will help you succeed in an era where technology underpins everything we do.</p>
<a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/tyler_mcdaniel/16-10-25-the_data_digest_get_inside_the_mind_of_your_changing_b2b_tech_buyer" title="Read the rest of &#039;The Data Digest: Get Inside The Mind Of Your Changing B2B Tech Buyer&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12856"><a href="/category/business_technographics" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Business Technographics</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12006"><a href="/category/business_decision_makers" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business decision makers</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_964"><a href="/category/business_technology" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12865"><a href="/category/business_technology_agenda" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology agenda</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11042"><a href="/category/buyer_journey" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">buyer journey</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_254"><a href="/category/data_digest_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">data digest</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12265"><a href="/category/information_technology" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">information technology</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12262 last"><a href="/category/technology_spending" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">technology spending</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/tyler_mcdaniel/16-10-25-the_data_digest_get_inside_the_mind_of_your_changing_b2b_tech_buyer#commentsAge of the CustomerBusiness TechnographicsTechnology Managementbusiness decision makersbusiness technologybusiness technology agendabuyer journeydata digestinformation technologytechnology spendingTue, 25 Oct 2016 18:36:26 +0000Tyler McDaniel12619 at http://blogs.forrester.comThe Data Digest: Do You Know Your New Technology Buyer? http://blogs.forrester.com/tyler_mcdaniel/16-10-06-the_data_digest_do_you_know_your_new_technology_buyer
<p>For years, technology purchasing has been moving away from a central IT approach and into the business. <a href="https://www.forrester.com/data/business/dashboards" target="_blank">Forrester Data</a> shows that in North American enterprises, 73% of technology spending is either business-led or the business provides significant input into IT's purchase -- up from 71% last year. </p>
<p>Clearly times have changed when it comes to technology purchasing, and business decision-makers (BDMs) are more critical to the process than ever. For example, North American enterprise BDMs reserve 41% of their respective budgets for technology purchases and expect to increase their total spend by 5% over the next year. </p>
<p>When asked why they are spending more of their business budget on technology, North American enterprise BDMs cited three critical reasons. First and foremost, technology is too important for the business not to be involved:</p>
<p>Second, the rising expectations of customers require the business to push IT to keep technology current. And finally, business executives' understanding of technology is increasing; so, they can interact more effectively with IT.</p>
<p>Thirty-nine percent of North American enterprise BDMs believe that "software is the key enabler for their business," and helps them to engage with customers. This trend is even more prevalent in Europe and Asia Pacific, where 51% and 58% of BDMs, respectively, believe the same thing. This significant attitudinal shift will continue to shape how software is acquired, deployed, and used to drive business success.</p>
<p>So how can you capitalize on the widespread and significant changes to the B2B technology landscape?</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/tyler_mcdaniel/16-10-06-the_data_digest_do_you_know_your_new_technology_buyer" title="Read the rest of &#039;The Data Digest: Do You Know Your New Technology Buyer? &#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12856"><a href="/category/business_technographics" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Business Technographics</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12006"><a href="/category/business_decision_makers" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business decision makers</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_964"><a href="/category/business_technology" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11042"><a href="/category/buyer_journey" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">buyer journey</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_254"><a href="/category/data_digest_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">data digest</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12265"><a href="/category/information_technology" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">information technology</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12262 last"><a href="/category/technology_spending" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">technology spending</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/tyler_mcdaniel/16-10-06-the_data_digest_do_you_know_your_new_technology_buyer#commentsAge of the CustomerBusiness TechnographicsData Insightsbusiness decision makersbusiness technologybuyer journeydata digestinformation technologytechnology spendingThu, 06 Oct 2016 12:48:39 +0000Tyler McDaniel12580 at http://blogs.forrester.comThe Data Digest: Forrester’s Empowered Customer Segmentation Reveals Country-Level Differences In Europehttp://blogs.forrester.com/anjali_lai/16-09-08-the_data_digest_forresters_empowered_customer_segmentation_reveals_country_level_differences_in_europe
<p>Charles Dickens once wrote that: "Change begets change. Nothing propagates so fast." In today's evolving marketplace, where innovators are setting new customer expectations and companies are racing to meet rising demands, Dickens' words ring true. The first step on a company's path to thriving in this environment is understanding customers accurately - specifically, identifying how consumer expectations are changing and how fast.</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/anjali_lai/16-07-12-the_data_digest_introducing_forresters_empowered_customer_segmentation#comments" target="_blank">Empowered Customer Segmentation</a> measures critical shifts in customer behaviors and attitudes to gauge how consumers are both responding to innovation and demanding it. While the segments are globally consistent, we see insightful differences when applying the framework to unique markets. For example, Forrester's <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Data-Services/-/E-MPL31" target="_blank">Consumer Technographics</a>&reg; data shows how the segments differ between Spain and France: </p>
<p>These country differences reveal unique opportunities and challenges for companies aiming to win or retain customers in Europe. For example, forward-looking brands such as Banco Sabadell and BBVA can engage Progressive Pioneers in Spain to test innovative concepts before planning a broader rollout. On the other hand, brands with large proportions of French Settled Survivors or Reserved Resisters can retain customers by convincing them of the effectiveness of an experience.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/anjali_lai/16-09-08-the_data_digest_forresters_empowered_customer_segmentation_reveals_country_level_differences_in_europe" title="Read the rest of &#039;The Data Digest: Forrester’s Empowered Customer Segmentation Reveals Country-Level Differences In Europe&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_1061"><a href="/category/empowered" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Empowered</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_128"><a href="/category/europe" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Europe</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9189"><a href="/category/france" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">France</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9286"><a href="/category/spain" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Spain</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_196"><a href="/category/data_digest" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">The Data Digest</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_224"><a href="/category/consumer_behavior" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">consumer behavior</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_10969"><a href="/category/consumer_technographics" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">consumer technographics</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13685 last"><a href="/category/the_empowered_customer_segmentation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">the empowered customer segmentation</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/anjali_lai/16-09-08-the_data_digest_forresters_empowered_customer_segmentation_reveals_country_level_differences_in_europe#commentsAge of the CustomerData InsightsEmpoweredEuropeFranceSpainThe Data Digestconsumer behaviorconsumer technographicsthe empowered customer segmentationThu, 08 Sep 2016 12:34:24 +0000Anjali Lai12538 at http://blogs.forrester.comTalent Management For The Customer-Obsessed Organizationhttp://blogs.forrester.com/rick_parrish/16-08-11-talent_management_for_the_customer_obsessed_organization
<p>Employees are the lifeblood of a customer-obsessed enterprise. No matter how advanced a company&#39;s technology, how big its data, or how trendy it's marketing, businesses today simply cannot succeed without employees who devote themselves to customers. However, many companies struggle to build a customer-obsessed workforce because they:</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/rick_parrish/16-08-11-talent_management_for_the_customer_obsessed_organization" title="Read the rest of &#039;Talent Management For The Customer-Obsessed Organization&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9821"><a href="/category/talent_management" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Talent management</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9960 last"><a href="/category/customer_obsession" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">customer obsession</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/rick_parrish/16-08-11-talent_management_for_the_customer_obsessed_organization#commentsAge of the CustomerCustomer ExperienceTalent managementcustomer obsessionThu, 11 Aug 2016 19:55:06 +0000Rick Parrish12510 at http://blogs.forrester.comLeadership In The Age Of The Customerhttp://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-06-15-leadership_in_the_age_of_the_customer
<p>Leading through change requires that right mix of imagination, inspiration, and gritty execution. And we are in a world of change. Empowered customers and the constant and rapid wave of digital innovation are changing market fundamentals. Leaders are now challenged to respond.</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of <a href="https://solutions.forrester.com/adapting-leadership" target="_blank">hosting a discussion</a> with <a href="https://www.forrester.com/James-L.-McQuivey?objectid=BIO27" target="_blank">James McQuivey</a>, <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Carlton-A.-Doty?objectid=BIO2662" target="_blank">Carl Doty</a>, and <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Samuel-Stern?objectid=BIO6524" target="_blank">Sam Stern</a> to talk leadership in the age of the customer. Our conversation covered a range of topics from having the wisdom to see the market for what it is versus how we would like the market to act to putting in motion strategic and operational change that is necessary, new, and risky. Here are the five takeaways:</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-06-15-leadership_in_the_age_of_the_customer" title="Read the rest of &#039;Leadership In The Age Of The Customer&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_12450 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer_0" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">#Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9800"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_1024"><a href="/category/leadership" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Leadership</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12407"><a href="/category/age_of_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">age of customer</a></li>
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<li class="taxonomy_term_13264 last"><a href="/category/customer_obsessed_operating_model" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">customer-obsessed operating model</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-06-15-leadership_in_the_age_of_the_customer#comments#Age of the CustomerAge of the CustomerCMOLeadershipage of customercustomer obsessioncustomer-obsessed operating modelWed, 15 Jun 2016 18:21:59 +0000Victor Milligan12423 at http://blogs.forrester.comDoubting Thomas Or Devil's Advocate? CX Does Matter To Governmenthttp://blogs.forrester.com/jennifer_belissent_phd/16-05-27-doubting_thomas_or_devils_advocate_cx_does_matter_to_government
<p>During a recent discussion of the <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/Winning+In+The+Age+Of+The+Customer/-/E-RES119546">Age of the Customer</a> and how it applies to government, one of the participants from a government agency essentially asked why they should care. The argument was "If I'm providing passport services why does customer experience matter to me? My "customers" can't walk out that door and find another passport services provider." </p>
<p>Needless to say I was taken aback - not shocked really, this is the government after all and not traditionally known for accessible or user friendly services. But personally my experiences have never been as bad as the stereotype of government. In fact, I just received a new passport in 2 weeks, having been told that it might take 3 - 6 weeks. And, at least the rhetoric of late has certainly embraced, in principle, more customer centricity in government. But here it was, the government monopoly argument rearing its ugly head. At least to play devil's advocate, suggesting that the sentiment did exist somewhere in the organization.</p>
<p>In the commercial world, customers can take their business elsewhere. With government, citizens do have some recourse. They can vote to "kick the rascals out" or in some cases vote with their feet - like we're seeing these days with the increase in Google searches <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35706377">for how to immigrate</a> to Canada before the next US election. In case you are wondering, one option is the new dating website, <a href="http://www.maplematch.com/">MapleMatch</a>, where Americans can look for a cross-border, Canadian mate. But seriously, most governments do recognize that improving services is important to attracting citizens, businesses and investment.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/jennifer_belissent_phd/16-05-27-doubting_thomas_or_devils_advocate_cx_does_matter_to_government" title="Read the rest of &#039;Doubting Thomas Or Devil&amp;#039;s Advocate? CX Does Matter To Government&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12755"><a href="/category/digital_government" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">digital government</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13648 last"><a href="/category/government_cx" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">government CX</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/jennifer_belissent_phd/16-05-27-doubting_thomas_or_devils_advocate_cx_does_matter_to_government#commentsAge of the CustomerCustomer Insightsdigital governmentgovernment CXFri, 27 May 2016 20:12:34 +0000Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D.12394 at http://blogs.forrester.comCIOs: Life In The Fast Lanehttp://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/16-04-27-cios_life_in_the_fast_lane
<p>The pace of business - heck, the pace of life, gets faster and faster. Faster processing, faster delivery, faster innovation - and faster adoption and abandonment of that innovation -- is the reality we all live in today.</p>
<p>Leaders run fast businesses to win and to stay apace or in front of dynamic customers and disruptive competitive forces. They can't out-slow the competition. Speed is the only option.</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of participating in a webinar panel to discuss what it means to work at one speed (fast) versus at two speeds as bimodal IT advocates. We discussed why businesses are forced to go fast, the reality and downside of a bimodal IT strategy, and the strategies and approaches to winning based on speed. Here is a quick view of the ground we covered.</p>
<p><strong>Why fast?</strong></p>
<p>The first part of our discussion focused on the factors that are making companies operate at fast speeds. Broadly, it comes down to three factors:</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/16-04-27-cios_life_in_the_fast_lane" title="Read the rest of &#039;CIOs: Life In The Fast Lane&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12842"><a href="/category/bt_agenda" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">BT Agenda</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12951"><a href="/category/bt_transformation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">BT transformation</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_424"><a href="/category/cio" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CIO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11674"><a href="/category/digital_transformation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Digital Transformation</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12865"><a href="/category/business_technology_agenda" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology agenda</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9960 last"><a href="/category/customer_obsession" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">customer obsession</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/16-04-27-cios_life_in_the_fast_lane#commentsAge of the CustomerBT AgendaBT transformationCIOCIODigital Transformationbusiness technology agendacustomer obsessionWed, 27 Apr 2016 12:34:56 +0000Sharyn Leaver12324 at http://blogs.forrester.comYour Business Technology Strategy: Go Fast Or Go Homehttp://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/16-03-29-your_business_technology_strategy_go_fast_or_go_home
<p>CEOs and their leadership teams are at a crossroads as technology underpins virtually all customers&#39; expectations and unlocks new sources of customer value. The choice is rather straightforward: invest heavily in business technology (BT) to win, serve, and retain customers, or flounder under the weight of legacy IT.</p>
<p>The choice is obvious, isn&#39;t it? We know and have proven that a <a href="https://www.forrester.com/report/Does+Customer+Experience+Really+Drive+Business+Success/-/E-RES125102">better customer experience correlates with higher revenue growth</a>. And what firm can claim immunity from the pressure of increasingly powerful customers wielding unbelievable technology power?</p>
<p>This is no time to hedge. Strategies like bimodal IT that advocate for silos and two operating speeds may appeal to risk-averse leaders, but bimodal won&#39;t get the job done. In fact, it works directly against the key <a href="https://webstg.forrester.com/report/The+Operating+Model+For+Customer+Obsession/-/E-RES125961#endnote14">operating principles of customer-obsessed firms</a> in B2B and B2C industries like General Electric, Netflix, and USAA. These firms and other leaders use the customer as the central design point for their business technology strategy and strive to be:</p>
<p><strong>Connected. Not siloed. </strong>At customer-obsessed firms, silos are giving way to <a href="https://webstg.forrester.com/go?objectid=RES117905">cross-functional teams</a> of sales, marketing, service, production, and technology staff focused on serving customer journeys and desires. The firms necessarily act as a single organism to rapidly sense and respond to changes - at speed. Likewise, systems are integrated and cloud-based to create a connected ecosystem of partners and customers. Bimodal works against this by isolating teams and systems and adding unnecessary complexity.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/16-03-29-your_business_technology_strategy_go_fast_or_go_home" title="Read the rest of &#039;Your Business Technology Strategy: Go Fast Or Go Home&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12842"><a href="/category/bt_agenda" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">BT Agenda</a></li>
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<li class="taxonomy_term_424"><a href="/category/cio" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CIO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11674"><a href="/category/digital_transformation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Digital Transformation</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12865"><a href="/category/business_technology_agenda" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology agenda</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9960 last"><a href="/category/customer_obsession" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">customer obsession</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/16-03-29-your_business_technology_strategy_go_fast_or_go_home#commentsAge of the CustomerBT AgendaBT transformationCIOCIODigital Transformationbusiness technology agendacustomer obsessionTue, 29 Mar 2016 21:54:10 +0000Sharyn Leaver12247 at http://blogs.forrester.comChange Is Afoot For The Modern B2B Sellerhttp://blogs.forrester.com/mary_shea/16-03-07-change_is_afoot_for_the_modern_b2b_seller
<p>Everybody is telling us this: Today&#39;s modern B2B buyer is soooo empowered! Well, that's because they can use digital and mobile channels to get access to competitive, pricing, reference and other information they need. Not only that, they even prefer to transact anywhere, anytime, and anyhow they want. So, the pressure is on for sales people to raise their game. Those who can only communicate in terms of product and service capabilities will see their messages fall flat.</p>
<p>Go-to-market leaders that fail to empower their sellers will see their selling organizations commoditized by those that do and their businesses surpassed by disrupters. While change is clearly afoot - I can't think of a more exciting time to be in Sales! B2B sellers who embrace change, who are adroit at leveraging new technologies to support more contextual engagements, and who seek out less cluttered channels such as social - will not only remain relevant but will be wildly successful!</p>
<p>To hear and see more, watch the below Animated Interview And Podcast with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadfquinn?authType=NAME_SEARCH&amp;authToken=TYYC&amp;locale=en_US&amp;trk=tyah2&amp;trkInfo=tarId%3A1457284850462%2Ctas%3AChad%20Quinn%2Cidx%3A1-1-1">Chad Quinn</a>, President and Founder of Ecosystems.</p>
<a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/mary_shea/16-03-07-change_is_afoot_for_the_modern_b2b_seller" title="Read the rest of &#039;Change Is Afoot For The Modern B2B Seller&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_583"><a href="/category/b2b" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">B2B</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12466"><a href="/category/b2b_buyers" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">B2B buyers</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12316"><a href="/category/digital_sales" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Digital sales</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13515 last"><a href="/category/social_selling" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Social Selling</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/mary_shea/16-03-07-change_is_afoot_for_the_modern_b2b_seller#commentsAge of the CustomerB2BB2B MarketingB2B buyersDigital salesSocial SellingMon, 07 Mar 2016 18:49:26 +0000Mary Shea12201 at http://blogs.forrester.comThe US Presidential Election Is A Lesson In Adapting To Changing Timeshttp://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-02-26-the_us_presidential_election_is_a_lesson_in_adapting_to_changing_times
<p>It is often said that campaigns work in poetry (beautiful language with lofty ideals), but one governs in prose (the pragmatic workings of the day). If we are in a poetic state, this is one strange poem with little rhyme or reason. </p>
<p>However, there are common threads that are meaningful that tell us something about not only the election but also the business climate.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-02-26-the_us_presidential_election_is_a_lesson_in_adapting_to_changing_times" title="Read the rest of &#039;The US Presidential Election Is A Lesson In Adapting To Changing Times&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9881 last"><a href="/category/disruption" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">disruption</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-02-26-the_us_presidential_election_is_a_lesson_in_adapting_to_changing_times#commentsAge of the CustomerCMOdisruptionFri, 26 Feb 2016 12:33:40 +0000Victor Milligan12189 at http://blogs.forrester.comKey Takeaways: 2016 Predictions Webinarhttp://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-02-11-key_takeaways_2016_predictions_webinar
<p>The transfer of power from companies to the customer is driving a wide variety of changes: some small and targeted and some that are far-reaching and fundamentally change the trajectory of companies (and careers, I may add).</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of moderating a video webinar last week that explored the customer dynamic, specifically looking at how it will play out in 2016. We also looked at how companies sense and respond to this dynamic change: how well companies are reading the tea leaves and taking action and what actions seem to matter to compete and win in a customer-led market. </p>
<p>I had a blast moderating this panel with <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Sharyn-Leaver?objectid=BIO614">Sharyn Leaver</a>, <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Michelle-Moorehead?objectid=BIO9364">Michelle Moorehead</a>, and <a href="https://www.forrester.com/harley-manning">Harley Manning</a>. If you saw it live or on-demand, I hope you had a blast as well and took something away that can make a difference for your company and yourself.</p>
<p>We captured the webinar through a thought-illustration that provides an artistic touch to a great conversation. </p>
<p class="rtecenter"></p>
<p>It's complex, right? There are a lot of moving pieces, big ideas, and really big decisions. So let's break it down:</p>
<p><strong>Strategic And Operational Pressures Loom . . . </strong></p>
<p>The effects of empowered customers are not the gentle ripples on the pond. Instead, they are shock waves that force businesses to make deep-rooted operational changes. Two dynamics dominate: expanding CX from a separate discipline to permeating virtually all functions with CX tools and practices as well as taking a holistic approach to putting in place a customer-obsessed operating model.</p>
<p><strong>. . . And Customer Expectations Are Increasing</strong></p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-02-11-key_takeaways_2016_predictions_webinar" title="Read the rest of &#039;Key Takeaways: 2016 Predictions Webinar&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_13440 first"><a href="/category/2016_predictions" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">2016 Predictions</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9800"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9960 last"><a href="/category/customer_obsession" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">customer obsession</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/victor_milligan/16-02-11-key_takeaways_2016_predictions_webinar#comments2016 PredictionsAge of the CustomerCMOcustomer obsessionThu, 11 Feb 2016 22:45:07 +0000Victor Milligan12163 at http://blogs.forrester.comThe Race To Digital Mastery Is On In 2016http://blogs.forrester.com/martin_gill/15-11-10-the_race_to_digital_mastery_is_on_in_2016
<p>When it comes to digital, we are at a pivot point. Digitizing your business isn't about technology: it's about customer obsession - and in 2016, it will be among your <a href="https://solutions.forrester.com/aoc-predictions?utm_source=forrester_blog&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=2015_Q4_AOC&amp;utm_content=aoc_success_factors">ten critical business success factors</a> helping position your firm for success in the <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Winning+In+The+Age+Of+The+Customer/quickscan/-/E-res119546">A</a><a href="https://www.forrester.com/Winning+In+The+Age+Of+The+Customer/quickscan/-/E-res119546">ge of the Customer</a>. In fact, next year will be a year of consequence: those firms that "get digital" will begin to pull ahead, and those firms that don't will begin to look increasingly archaic, facing the risk of extinction.</p>
<p>The preliminary results from our <a href="https://www.forrester.com/The+State+Of+Digital+Business+2015+To+2020/quickscan/-/E-RES119838">recent digital business survey</a> are telling. An increasing number of firms are reporting that they have a coherent and comprehensive digital strategy. While this is good news, these firms are still the minority. The vast majority of firms report that their approach to digital is limited at best, and non-existent at worst. But the consistently bleak picture is that most executives think the wrong people are in charge of their digital activities and few (very few) think they have the capabilities to deliver.</p>
<p>But there are some shining lights.</p>
<p>Leading firms like John Deere are pathing the path to digital mastery, demonstrating revenue and share price growth that outpaces less digitally savvy competitors. Executive committees are taking note. Innovation spend is on the rise, digital skills are in hot demand, and a new breed of digitally savvy senior leaders is finally emerging.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/martin_gill/15-11-10-the_race_to_digital_mastery_is_on_in_2016" title="Read the rest of &#039;The Race To Digital Mastery Is On In 2016&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13398"><a href="/category/predictions_2016" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Predictions 2016</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9937"><a href="/category/digital" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">digital</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11094"><a href="/category/digital_business" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">digital business</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13419 last"><a href="/category/success_factors" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">success factors</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/martin_gill/15-11-10-the_race_to_digital_mastery_is_on_in_2016#commentsAge of the CustomerPredictions 2016digitaldigital businesseBusiness Strategysuccess factorsTue, 10 Nov 2015 16:55:21 +0000Martin Gill12030 at http://blogs.forrester.comCIOs Move From Custodians To Digital Stewards in 2016http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/15-11-02-cios_move_from_custodians_to_digital_stewards_in_2016
<p>We've been telling you that you need to transition from strictly managing an <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/george_colony/15-03-05-overcoming-it-gravity" target="_blank">IT Agenda to owning a BT Agenda, too</a>. 2016 is the year that needs to happen: your CEO will be looking for you to drive digital in your company -- and increasingly digital is becoming your business.</p>
<p>At the center of your digital strategy is today's empowered customer who expects you to be able to serve her in her moment of need. <a href="http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=119838" target="_blank">Nearly half of executives in a new survey responded that they believe in less than five years digital will have an impact on more than half their sales.</a> Twelve percent of retailers, that are dealing with consumers showrooming and making their transactions online, believe they will be 100 percent digital by 2020.</p>
<p>Winners in the age of the customer will embed digital into all parts of the business, harmonize virtual and in-store experiences, and be able to rapidly shift to meet the hyperadoption/hyperabandonment behavior of customers.</p>
<p>The scary news? Only a quarter of businesses have a coherent digital strategy to create customer value as a digital business. The onus is on you to deliver that strategy. As CIO, you need to offer a holistic view on the digital transformation that encompasses not just how your firm can harness emerging technology to create customer value, but how your team can help drive synergies across the customer experience ecosystem. We believe the only way to achieve this is a customer-obsessed operating model that will permeate throughout your business and focus on six elements: structure, talent, culture, metrics, processes, and technology.</p>
<p>Here are three things you can do in 2016 to win at driving digital:</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/15-11-02-cios_move_from_custodians_to_digital_stewards_in_2016" title="Read the rest of &#039;CIOs Move From Custodians To Digital Stewards in 2016&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_424"><a href="/category/cio" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CIO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11674"><a href="/category/digital_transformation" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Digital Transformation</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13398"><a href="/category/predictions_2016" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Predictions 2016</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9802"><a href="/category/the_age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">The Age of The Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_12865 last"><a href="/category/business_technology_agenda" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">business technology agenda</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/sharyn_leaver/15-11-02-cios_move_from_custodians_to_digital_stewards_in_2016#commentsAge of the CustomerCIODigital TransformationPredictions 2016Technology ManagementThe Age of The Customerbusiness technology agendaMon, 02 Nov 2015 20:26:18 +0000Sharyn Leaver11998 at http://blogs.forrester.com2016: CIOs And CMOs Must Rally To Lead Customer-Obsessed Change Nowhttp://blogs.forrester.com/cliff_condon/15-10-21-2016_cios_and_cmos_must_rally_to_lead_customer_obsessed_change_now
<p>In the coming weeks Forrester will publish its annual set of predictions for our major roles, industries, and research themes -- more than 35 in total. These predictions for 2016 will feature our calls on how firms will execute in <a href="https://www.forrester.com/Winning+In+The+Age+Of+The+Customer/quickscan/-/E-res119546" target="_blank">the Age of the Customer</a>, a 20-year business cycle in which the most successful enterprises will reinvent themselves to systematically understand and serve increasingly powerful customers.</p>
<p>In 2016, the gap between customer-obsessed leaders and laggards will widen. Leaders will tackle the hard work of shifting to a customer-obsessed operating model; laggards will aimlessly push forward with flawed digital priorities and disjointed operations. It will require strong leadership to win, and we believe that in 2016 CMOs will step up to lead customer experience efforts. They face a massive challenge: Years of uncoordinated technology adoption across call centers, marketing teams, and product lines make a single view of the customer an expensive and near-impossible endeavor. As a result, in 2016 companies will be limited to fixing their customer journeys.</p>
<p>CMOs will have good partners, though. As they continue to break free of IT gravity and invest in <a href="https://www.forrester.com/The+Top+10+Technology+Trends+To+Watch+2016+To+2018/quickscan/-/E-res120075" target="_blank">business technology</a>, CIOs will be at their sides. 2016 is the year that a new breed of customer-obsessed CIOs will become the norm. Fast-cycle strategy and governance will be more common throughout technology management and CIOs will push hard on departmental leaders to let go of their confined systems to make room for a simpler, unified, agile portfolio.</p><a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/cliff_condon/15-10-21-2016_cios_and_cmos_must_rally_to_lead_customer_obsessed_change_now" title="Read the rest of &#039;2016: CIOs And CMOs Must Rally To Lead Customer-Obsessed Change Now&#039;." class="node_read_more">Read more</a><div class="categories"><h3>Categories:</h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy_term_9800 first"><a href="/category/age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Age of the Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9890"><a href="/category/cio_cmo" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CIO CMO</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11935"><a href="/category/cio_role" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CIO role</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9433"><a href="/category/cmo_priorities" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">CMO priorities</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9946"><a href="/category/digital_disruption" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">Digital Disruption</a></li>
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<li class="taxonomy_term_9802"><a href="/category/the_age_of_the_customer" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">The Age of The Customer</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_13264"><a href="/category/customer_obsessed_operating_model" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">customer-obsessed operating model</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_11094"><a href="/category/digital_business" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">digital business</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_9829 last"><a href="/category/personalization" rel="tag" alt="See other content with this tag." title="See other content with this tag.">personalization</a></li>
</ul></div>http://blogs.forrester.com/cliff_condon/15-10-21-2016_cios_and_cmos_must_rally_to_lead_customer_obsessed_change_now#commentsAge of the CustomerCIO CMOCIO roleCMOCMO prioritiesDigital DisruptionPredictions 2016The Age of The Customercustomer-obsessed operating modeldigital businesspersonalizationWed, 21 Oct 2015 15:52:20 +0000Cliff Condon11977 at http://blogs.forrester.com